When Noah Syndergaard returns this summer, the Mets are projecting an initial rotation of Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Marcus Stroman, Syndergaard and the new signing of Taijuan Walker. This is undoubtedly the best rotation in the division and a top-5 rotation in baseball, which should cause great excitement among Mets fans.
Not as exciting, but equally positive is the starting depth the Mets have now acquired with Walker and the new Mets Jordan Yamamoto and Joey Lucchesi, who could compete for a spot in the early season later in the year. In the herd are David Peterson, free agent Jerad Eickhoff and Sam McWilliams, who showed great promise as candidates last year. As currently drafted, the Mets have nine or ten serious candidates for the start of performances, which the team has not had for a long time.
But until Syndergaard returns, there remains an open space at the back of the rotation and many potential candidates to fill it. How the Mets approach this problem depends on a variety of factors, and although there is no clear solution, there are many good options.
Walker is likely to turn in the rotation, regardless of whether and when Syndergaard returns. The Mets pay him a starting fee and he has recently been proven to be an effective starter like Lucchesi and Yamamoto with an ERA + of 161 over 11 by 2020. He is not as advanced or productive as deGrom, Stroman, Carrasco or Syndergaard , but he’s clearly better than the team’s other backline options. In addition to a significant decrease in production, he deserves a place in the rotation.
The Mets will most likely first look to Peterson to start fifth place in the rotation to start the season, not because he is necessarily the best option, but because he is the only remaining option to achieve a full season in 2020 has. None of Peterson’s Statcast numbers. jumps off the board, and his fast-paced fast-paced speed and curve-twisting rate below ten percent is downright sultry, but his value as an innings-eater and baseball inducer gives him great potential with improved field defense. Judging Peterson on the basis of his production in a shortened season may be short-sighted, especially since he did not have any MLB experience before 2020, but that his abilities to the limited positive aspects of the Mets defense contribute.
Although Peterson is the first option the team wants to fulfill in the fifth starting roll, Lucchesi is perhaps the better option. Lucchesi’s first two seasons in 2018 and 2019 gradually improved as his FIP dropped and his peripherals rose. Lucchesi also induced ground balls in 2019 with a larger percentage than Peterson did in 2020, which was Peterson’s best asset. What sets Lucchesi back is his 2020 season with an injury, where he has shown little efficiency in just three games. Judging by Lucchesi’s bad 2020 season may be just as useless as judging Peterson’s amazing 2020 season, but if these injuries persist, it could be worrying to start the season.
Yamamoto offers an interesting option as an appetizer. The third-year pitcher has some excellent Statcast measurements, including near-elite turning points on his fast ball and bow ball and wicked movement on his sliding bar, but he was unable to turn that talent into production. Yamamoto hosted a perfect rookie season with a 96 ERA + in 2019, only to download a wreath in 2020 with a 25 ERA + in just four starts. The short-season reservation also applies to Yamamoto, but unlike Peterson or Lucchesi, he has to put together an above-average season. If he performs better than the Spring Spring competition, he has a chance to turn around, but if he considers his record, he will probably have to exceed expectations to start the season in Queens.
Unlike Yamamoto, Eickhoff combined excellent peripherals with a full season of efficient production, reaching a 115 ERA + in a full 2016 season. Unfortunately, the former Phillie, who suffered nerve damage in his throwing hand in 2018, has gone down from there and has not had an above-average season since. After not standing in 2020, Eickhoff does not represent much more than a small league recovery project, but with fast ball and curveball turning points above the 80th percentile, he is worth working on.
After Eickoff is Sam McWilliams, a career minor who recently spent time as an appetizer in the Rays system. The Mets seem to like him quite a bit, as they offered him a major league contract in December, but without any major league experience, he compares himself to the rest of the Mets options a big catchy emoji. Unless four other options do not appear to be a viable starter, the McWilliams, most likely, are a major league action rather than in the rotation.
This kind of depth also offers more creative options for Mets entrees. A six-man rotation could be favorable later in the season, just as likely if the Mets have a big lead on the division, as it will provide more rest for the top half of the rotation, giving the playoffs and valuable experience to younger players. give pitchers. Keeping a reliable batsman like Peterson or Lucchesi in the bull as an option for long lighting or an emergency appetizer can work well, especially since the bullpen does not have many left-handed options other than the recently signed Aaron Loup. Yamamoto can also play well in short bursts with a nasty combination of fast ball and sliding, making him a solid bullpen option when there is no room for him in the rotation. It is noteworthy that although the Mets have only applied creative bullpen solutions in recent years, manager Luis Rojas recently spoke out openly about using an opener, something that can be considered bold for an organization that is reluctant to advanced analysis.
Whether anything like this happens remains in the air, but these are exciting options for a team that is expected to compete for a title. The addition of Walker to the starting rotation not only reinforces one of the best rotations in the majors, but possibly also gives the Mets one of their best rotations ever.